How Is Your Culture

Every company should always be cognizant of their company culture, no matter the size of the organization.  In these turbulent times, it is even more necessary to focus on culture.  Not only for the obvious reason of keeping productivity levels strong in a difficult market but also to keep happy employees for when the job market rebounds.

Currently working individuals are sought after in any market.  This is not to say that if you find yourself currently unemployed that you are neither less important nor less valuable, there numerous circumstances these days for employers to consider.

For those whom are currently employed, there is more of a “woo-factor” that needs to happen with the talent seeking companies.  Why?  If you are currently working then you really don’t HAVE to make a career move and you are typically better able to compare; the company’s, available projects, salary’s, benefits, work environments or whatever maybe of personal importance to you.

Having said this, if your corporate culture is not strong or conducive to your current employees then their wiliness to explore new opportunities or to actively job seek once the market improves is greatly increased.

Don’t assume that because your employees have a job and that they are busy that they are happy.  Managers need to be engaging and open to all sorts of conversations, especially now.  Attrition is a natural part of any business but retaining performers is also critical.

Make sure to keep your employees engaged, interested, and open to conversations.  Feedback can be difficult to digest which means open conversations are a must.

A great example is with a conversation I had  recently with one individual who said that her manager took her out to lunch for an open table conversation and that he wanted to know her thoughts and concerns.  She was very hesitant to participate but took him at his word and she did have a difficult conversation.  It sounded to go well and some minor changes have already been noticed in her office.

I love this for a few reasons.  First, the conversation was set up as a non-career threatening, open table conversation.  Second, the conversation took place outside of work to make it a bit more relaxing and less formal.  Third, the manager listened, was not defensive or aggressive, and began to make positive changes to his employee.

This is a learned process for everyone, and a trust factor must be there to have a real conversation, but it is good to keep that communication line open.  You may need to begin with short conversations and slowly expand them as the trust level increases.  As I said previously, the goal is to retain productive employees.

Treat your employees with respect, take time to learn their interests and passions, and help them with these areas (if possible)… then watch them remain a happy employee.

There are many ways to improve a business culture, how can you make a positive impact on retention?

Don’t Forget the Phone

In today’s social networking world it is great to make contacts, build new relationships and gain different perspectives from a diverse area.  Twitter is fantastic for this (find me @kufarms).  Messages, messaging, IM, cell phone applications and email all dominate the work place but don’t forget the phone.

 

Whether you are conducting a job search or looking for candidates for your jobs, don’t rely on the other mediums to convey your message.  Nothing beats speaking to someone about a position and having a discussion.

 

If you make a call for a position, either searching for a candidate or are calling for a specific position, be sensitive to the other person’s time.  You may have caught them in a meeting, at work in a tight space, or otherwise not able to speak.  Give a brief intro and ask for their time now or make an appointment for a later time.  This will often lead to the most successful path.

 

If you are a passive candidate, do the same and take the call (now or later) for only a few minutes.  One of three results may happen: (1) you are interested in the opportunity or (2) you know someone that you may direct to this opportunity or (3) you are not interested and don’t know anyone but made a contact for the future and for networking.

 

I like a method I learned from Shally Steckerl (http://jobmachine.net/shally/) during an online seminar a few years ago and that is the email, call, email method.  Day 1 = email, day 2 = call and day 3 = email follow up.  This is a good approach but I have revised this to the call, email, call method which sometimes works a bit better.  Ultimately, if you are able to know your potential audience and have all contact information then you are able to use either method.

 

Use all of the tools available to you just don’t forget the phone.

Be prepared

The time will come when you will either consider or be forced to look for a new position.  There should always be a few things on your mind in these times.

 

Active or passive.

Active is when you are fully engaged in a search and you are more in “selling” mode than anything else.  Make it your job, or second job.  Spend the time to research companies, positions, chat boards, post questions on Twitter, etc.  Active candidates are also in a touchy area, don’t over sell and don’t undersell.  Know when to speak, when to add details and when to be precise with your answers.  Companies are interviewing numerous candidates for each position and you want to make sure you are at the top of the list.  This is really the bread and butter for recruiters, have a req fill a req and move on.  Make sure you are prepared even when a recruiter calls without notice.  If you need to, schedule a time to speak with them when you may provide your undivided attention and to make the best impression.

 

Passive is when you have a job and receive calls.  The candidate believes they have the control of these conversations because they do not have to do anything, but this is where top recruiters prove themselves.  Recruiters will turn this more into a conversation, probing and networking are commonly the most advantageous avenues to proceed.  Candidates need to remember it is all about perception so be courteous even if interest is low.

 

Jobs

Keep a list of what you apply for.  I know we are in a paperless world, or strive to be.  Figure out what works for you in your job search.  Create folders for positions or companies will help you to straighten positions out.

 

If you print them out, put them in folders, labeled with a copy of the position from the site where you applied and a copy of your resume (only if you have multiple copies of your resume that you distribute).  This will allow you better organization for follow up and, when the recruiter calls, you will be able to immediately refer to your notes.

 

If you save them on your computer, create a folder (Job Search) and copy/paste a document folder for easy access.

 

Both work, what is your preference.

 

Network

Networking isn’t always about being social.  Sure, there are the social sites (Facebook and MySpace) and the professional sites (ZoomInfo, LinkedIn and Spoke) but it is good to mix your messages at times.  If you are active (and not working), let people know if they hear of anything to let you know.  If you are active (and working), obviously be more discreet in your advertising.  If you are passive, just keep your name out there just in case… it never hurts.

 

These are three quick tips to keep in your mind throughout your career.